The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lilium hybrid, referred to commercially as an upright Oriental lily hybrid, hereinafter sometimes referred to by the cultivar name `Vanity`.
This invention is the product of a controlled breeding program in Aurora, Oreg. The seed parent was an unnamed, non-released proprietary seedling. This seed parent was mass pollinated with the pollen from several proprietary non-released parents. Both parents were from distantly related upfacing oriental lily lines and the crosses were made in an attempt to fix the upfacing trait into a plant with good cut flower potential.
The `Vanity` lily has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity, and day length, without, however, any variation in genotype. The following traits have been repeatedly observed in asexually propagated progeny and are determined to be the basic characteristics of this invention which in combination distinguish this lily as a new and distinct cultivar: (1) floriferous habit; (2) large, upright, rose pink flowers; (3) vigorous growth habit; (4) large buds; (5) tall, strong stems; (6) virus resistance; (7) desirable forcing time. Bulbs of this plant may be precooled and forced out of season for very uniform cut flower production.
The primary distinguishing features of the `Vanity` lily are its' large numerous rose pink flowers. Compared to Lilium `Acapulco`, this invention has a similar color, as uniform a growth habit, and similar height and stem strength. The invention is earlier by ten days when forced under commercial conditions. It is more virus resistant and has a higher bud count.
Asexual reproduction of this new variety has been accomplished by scaling and tissue culture which was initially performed at Aurora, Oreg. The resulting plants have shown that the above mentioned unique characteristics are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations reproduced by asexual reproduction.